Portable collapsible shelters, e.g., folding canopies, can be designed for ease of transport, setup, and takedown. Such shelters can be useful for outdoor gatherings, temporary military posts, emergency cover, even indoor conferences or trade shows to provide a sense of distinction from other exhibits, among other uses.
Portable collapsible shelters can include accordion-type collapsible truss assemblies between supporting legs of the shelter. According-type collapsible truss assemblies can include a number of truss members interconnected at pivotal x-joints near truss member midpoints and at pivotal v-joints near truss member endpoints. The truss members may be connected at one endpoint to a portion of a shelter leg, e.g., at a slidable or fixed mounting bracket, and at another endpoint to another truss member at a pivotal v-joint. Thus, the accordion-type collapsible truss assembly can be expanded and collapsed to allow for ease of transport, setup, and takedown.
The use of materials to reduce weight and size of portable collapsible shelters has led to deformation and failure of truss members, particularly near pivotal v-joints. Such deformation can be caused, at least in part, by user abuse in forcing the operation of setup and takedown, or weather related axial bending stresses, among other causes. Also, reductions in size and weight of portable collapsible shelters can decrease the stability of the shelters.
Portable collapsible shelters can include a roof assembly that is made of materials that are flexible. Flexible material roof assemblies include some means of providing rigidity to the roof assembly, while reducing the weight and amount of material in the roof assembly when compared to shelters that include a radial inner truss to support the root. Some methods of providing rigidity to the roof assembly can limit the flexibility of the roof assembly and decrease or eliminate the benefits that a flexible roof assembly can provide to a portable collapsible shelter.